Trimming mechanism



P 15, 1964 c. H. HEIGL ETAL TRIMMING MECHANISM :5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledApril 6, 1959 nvmvrms 614m A HE/GL BY V/crae GEL V I I m 7 ArrvRNEYSSept. 15, 1964 c'. H. HEIGL ETAL TRIMMING MECHANISM Filed April 6, 19593 sheets sheet 3 CAKL HE/GL uHM M h W Arr-0 Ive-xv United States PatentO The present invention relates to trimmers and, more particularly, to ashear or trimming mechanism for use in connection with a series offolded sheets collated to form a magazine, pamphlet, book or the like.For the purpose of simplicity the term book shall be used in theremainder of the specification and claims to indicate a plurality ofsuperposed signatures, regardless of whether the superposed signaturesform a book, pamphlet, magazine or the like.

After folded sheets or signatures have been collated to form a book thebooks are usually trimmed on top and bottom and along one side, the sideopposite the folded side. For trimming, the book may be disposed endwisebetween a pair of trimming knives which are operated simultaneously totrim the top and bottom of the book and the book then indexed to anotherposition where the side of the book is trimmed by a third knife; Thethree knives may be arranged in a U-shaped configuration andreciprocated simultaneously with each other, the two oppositely disposedknives for trimming the top and bottom of the book operating on one bookand the third knife which is disposed transversely of the first twoknives operating on a different book.

The conventional supports and guides for the movable knives of trimmingmechanisms, such as ways and gibs require close tolerance machining andare subject to relatively fast wear and require good lubrication andconstant adjustment to assure that the movable knife operates in theproper plane. Furthermore, the conventional type guides for the movingknives of trimming mechanisms, including the way and gib-type guide,have been relatively cumbersome and have presented space problems whenthe knives are to be ganged to operate simultaneously on a relativelysmall sheet or book or on two or more closely disposed books at adjacentindex stations.

It is well understood by those skilled in the art that the movable knifeof a paper shear or trirmning mechanism must move accurately in apredetermined plane and a close adjustment between the movable knife andthe bed knife must be maintained.

One of the important object of the present invention is to provide anovel and an improved shear or trimming mechanism, particularly one forcutting paper, in which the movable knife is supported and guided insuch a manner that little maintenance and adjustment is required tomaintain the knife operating in the proper cooperative relationship withthe fixed knife of the trimming mechanism or shear.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a trimmer or shearhaving new and improved guides for a plurality of movable knives thereofwhich enables the knives to be ganged in a relatively small space andwhich does not require frequent or constant adjustment due to or becauseof wear in the guides for the movable knives.

. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a shear ortrimming mechanism in which a pair of par- 3,1485% Patented Eept. 15,1964 allel knives are guided for cutting movement by compact guide meanson carriages which are movable toward and away from each other to adjustthe position of the knives to trim a sheet or signature disposedtherebetween.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a noveland an improved shear or trimming mechanism, as in the preceding object,in which a third knife is disposed at corresponding one ends of thefirstmentioned knives and extends transversely thereto and is movablewith the first-mentioned knives to effect a cut.

Other objects and features of the invention will appear as we proceedwith the description of the preferred embodiment of the inventionillustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of thisspecification and in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a mechanism embodying the presentinvention with parts thereof shown in section;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary transverse view partly in sec-;

tion on the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a reduced horizontal sectional view taken approximately alongline 33 of FIG. 1 with the book handling mechanism and book hold-downsomitted;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view on a larger scale of one of thesleeve assemblies for guiding the relative move ments of the post andbushing and holding those parts properly centered; and

FIG. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 55of FIG. 4.

In the trimming mechanism shown in the drawings, first and second shearassemblies 10, 11 and 19, 19' are disposed opposite each other and areadapted to trim the ends of a book disposed therebetween. A thirdshearing assembly 13 extends across or between the assemblies 10, 11 atone of their ends and is adapted to trim the side of the book after theends thereof have been trimmed by the assemblies 10, 11 and the bookindexed to a subsequent position. The book being trimmed by the assembly13 may be supported on the table means of a delivery mechanism notshown.

The assemblies 10, 11 are supported on a pair of transverse bars orrails 14 and are movable along the rails to vary the distancetherebetween to permit the shears to be adjusted for trimming books ofvarious lengths.

The assemblies 10, 11 are substantially identical in construction andfor the sake of clarity and simplicity, only the shear assembly 10 willbe described in detail. The parts of the shearing assembly 11 will begiven the same number as the corresponding parts of the shearingassembly 10 with a prime mark aifixed thereto unless otherwise indicatedhereinafter.

The shear assembly 10 is shown as including a bed member 17 slidablysupported by the rails 14 and a bed knife 18 which is clamped by screwsto the bed member 17. The screws for clamping the knife 18 to the bedmember 17 pass through enlarged openings in the knife 18 to permitlateral adjustment of the knife and the knife is backed by a bar 16which is fixed t0 the bed member 17. The bar 16 carries adjustable setscrews that engage the bed knife 18 to determine its lateral position.The bed knife 18 and bar 16 extend longitudinally of the trimmingmechanism and transversely to the rails 14.

The bed knife 18 cooperates with a movable knife 19 disposed above thebed knife, the movable knife 19 being reciprocated to effect a shearingof the book or sheet disposed between the' bed knife and the movableknife. The movable knife 19 is fixed to a knife support member Zll whichis guided for movement in a vertical plane and is reciprocated tooperate the movable knife 19. The knife support member 20 is constrainedto move vertically by guide rods 21, preferably of hardened steel, whichdepend from the knife support member 20 and which are received inrespective vertical bores 22 in the bed member 17.

In the illustrated and preferred embodiment, the upper ends of the guiderods 21 are pressed into receiving bores in bosses 23 of the knifesupport member 20, but it will be understood that the guide rods may beconnected to the knife support member 20 in any suitable manner.

The diameter of each bore 22 in the bed member 17 for receiving acorresponding one of the guideposts 21, has a larger diameter than theguidepost received thereby. The bore 22 is preferably provided by theopening in a hardened steel bushing 24 pressed into a bore in the bedmember 17, and a sleeve 25 is disposed in each bore 22 between the sidewalls of the bore and the corresponding guidepost. The sleeves 25 havean inside diameter greater than the diameter of the guidepost and anoutside diameter which is smaller than the diameter of the correspondingbore 22. The sleeves 25 each have a plurality of openings therein inwhich hardened steel balls are disposed and the balls are of a diametersuch that the balls fit tightly within the clearance between theguidepost 21 and the side wall of its receiving bore and provide anantifriction means for accurately guiding the guideposts 21 and, inturn, the knife support member 20 in their vertical movement. In theillustrated and preferred embodiment the diameter of the guidepost 21plus the diameters of two balls 26 is slightly larger than the diameterof its receiving bore 22. This provides the equivalent of a press fitand positively prevents any lateral motion between guideposts and thebed member 17. Each of the balls 26 are received in an individualaperture in its supporting sleeve 25 and are free to rotate relative tothe sleeve. The halls may be held against displacement when the sleeveis disassembled from the shear by peening the ends of the side wall oftheir receiving aperture. The balls of each sleeve 25 are preferablyarranged in rows about the circumference of the sleeve 2 with the ballsin adjacent rows being offset from each other as shown in the drawing.The sleeve 25 and the balls therein may fioat axially relative to theguidepost 21 and the side walls of the bore 22.

The knife support members 20, 2 of the assemblies 10, 11 arereciprocated vertically by drive plates 30, 31 which extend between theknife support members 20, 20' at the upper sides thereof and at oppositeends of the assemblies 10, 11. The drive plates are received inindividual cutout portions 32 of each of the knife support members 20,2t) and a bar 33 is disposed above each knife support member and extendsover the drive plates 30, 31. The bars 33 are connected to the adjacentone of the knife support members by clamp screws 35 which draw the bars33 against the drive plate and which may be loosened to permit the knifesupport members 20, 20 to slide along the drive plates 30, 31 as theassemblies 10, 11 are moved along the rails 14. The drive plates 30, 31are reciprocated vertically by a pair of links 36 connected at theirupper ends to respective ones of the drive plates and to operatingmechanism for effecting a reciprocation of the links and the driveplates.

As pointed out hereinbefore, the shear assembly 13 is disposed at theleft-hand ends of the shear assemblies 10, 11 as the mechanism is viewedin the drawings. The structure of the shear assembly 13 is substantiallythe same as the structure of the shear assembly 10, 11 but the bedmember and movable knife support thereof are of slightly modifiedconstruction in order to facilitate the disposal of the shear assembly13 at the ends of the shear assemblies 16, 11 and to dispose the knivesthereof transversely of the machine adjacent the shear assemblies 10, 11with the supporting structure for the knives being primarily on the sideof the knife remote from the shear as- .4 semblies 1t), 11. The parts ofthe shear assembly 13 have been given the same number as thecorresponding parts of the shear assembly 10 with a double prime markafiixed thereto. It is desirable to dispose the shear assembly 13closely to the ends of the shear assemblies 10, 11 to minimize thedistance that the book has to be moved from where it is trimmed by theshear assemblies 10, 11 into position to be trimmed by the shearassembly 13. The book when trimmed by the shear assembly 13 extends tothe left from the knives 18", 19" and the shear assembly 13.

The knife support member 20" of the shear 13 is disposed adjacent thedrive plate 30 and is connected to the drive plate for actuation therebyupon reciprocation of the drive plate. The vertical movement of theknife support 20" is guided by a pair of guideposts 21" which are guidedin their vertical movement in individual receiving bores in the bed 17"of the shear assembly 13 in the same manner as the guideposts 21 of theshear assembly 10.

It is understood that suitable indexing mechanism may be provided tomove the books into a position to be trimmed by the shear assembly 10,11 and then to index the book to a position to be trimmed by the shearassembly 13. The indexing mechanism forms no part of the presentinvention and has, therefore, not been described or shown. Suflice it tosay that an indexing mechanism including a plurality of spaced pusherssupported for rectilinear movement may be utilized to advance the book.The books may ride on a table which includes a member 40 disposed midwaybetween the shear assemblies 10, 11 and as the books are moved intoposition to be trimmed by the shear assemblies 10, 11 they may be guidedby guides 41 carried by the knife support members 20, 20', respectively,and disposed immediately outwardly of the adjacent bed knife when theknife support member is in a raised position. The guides 41 areadjustably supported from the corresponding knife support member forlateral movement by studs 43 which extend through a portion of thecorresponding movable knife support member. The studs 43 have nutsthreaded on their outer ends and a spring 44 is disposed about each studbetween the guide and the knife support member. The springs 44 urge theguides inwardly until the adjustable nuts on the studs engage theadjacent knife support member.

The knife support members 20, 20' and 20 also carry, in the illustratedembodiment, book hold-downs 45. Each book hold-down is supported from aplate 46, connected to the corresponding knife support member, byvertical rods 47, which extend freely upwardly through the plate andeach having a nut 48 threaded onto its upper end. The nuts 48 limit thedownward movement of the corresponding hold-down and the hold-downs areurged downwardly to urge the nuts 48 into engagement with the adjacentplates 46 by springs 49 disposed about the rods between the hold-downsand the plates 46. Each holddown member 45 leads the adjacent movableknife and effects a clamping of the book against the bed member beforethe book is engaged by the movable knife. When the movement of thehold-down member is stopped, the springs 49 will compress to allow theknife support member to move relative to the hold-down.

As mentioned hereinbefore, the shear assemblies 10, 11 are adjustabletoward each other. The adjustment of the shear assemblies 10, 11 towardand away from each other is effected by the operation of a pair of leadscrews 50 extending between the assemblies, one of the lead screws beingdisposed at each of the ends of the assemblies 10, 11. The lead screws50 thread into brackets carried by the bed members 17, 17' and thethreaded portions of each screw in the brackets connected to the bedmember 20 are of opposite hand to the threaded portions of the screwsoperating in the brackets connected to the bed members 20. Upon rotationof the lead screw 50, the shear assemblies 10 and 11 will be movedtoward or away from each other depending upon rotation of the leadscrew. The lead screws are preferably interconnected by a chain, notshown, which meshes with a sprocket, not shown, on each lead screw sothat the screws rotate in unison and the same angular amount each timethey are operated so that the shear assemblies 10, 11 are alwaysequidistant from a centerline between the assemblies.

After the shear assemblies 10, 11 have been properly adjusted, they maybe clamped into position by means of clamp bars 52. A clamp bar 52 isdisposed underneath the rails 14 in alignment with each bed member andare connected to their respective beds by clamp screws designated by thereference numerals 54. Th clamp screws may be tightened or loosened toefiect a clamping of the bed members to the rails 14.

When the movable knives of the shear assemblies 10, 11, 13 are guided intheir vertical movements in accordance with the present invention, theknives do not require constant adjustment as is true of the support ofthe knives guided in a conventional manner. The guideposts, the sidewalls of the bores receiving the guideposts, and the balls interposedbetween the guideposts and the side walls may all be of relatively hardmaterials and are not subject to wear. Furthermore, when the knives areguided in accordance with the present invention, a plurality of knivesmay be ganged in an extremely small space and the mechanism may beconstructed to facilitate the adjustment of the shears provided by theknives to properly position the shears to perform simultaneous cuts onthe same sheet or book.

It can now be seen that the present invention provides a novel and animproved timing mechanism or shear that can be used to trim a book ofsignatures or a single sheet or pack of sheets and it will understoodthat further modifications, constructions and arrangements can be madewithin the ability of those skilled in the art, and it is hereby ourintention to cover all such constructions, modifications andarrangements which fall within the ability of those skilled in the artand within the scope and spirit of the present invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. In a paper trimming mechanism comprising a pair of opposed gangedshears for simultaneously trimming different marginal portions of abook, each of said shears comprising: a bed member, a stationary knifeon said bed member, a movable knife support member, a movable knifeadapted to lie in a plane and having an edge in said plane to cooperatewith said stationary knife on movement of said knife in said plane,fastening means connecting said knife to said movable knife supportmember for movement therewith, guide means connecting said movable knifesupport member to said bed member and constituting the sole guide meanstherebetween and consisting of a plurality of guide posts connected toone of said bed and support members and the other of said bed andsupport members having a bore therein receiving and coaxial with each ofsaid guide posts with said bores having larger diameters than said guideposts to provide clearance between said guide posts and their receivingmember, a sleeve disposed about each of said guide posts and received inthe bore receiving the guide post, said sleeves each having an outsidediameter less than the diameter of the receiving bore, and a pluralityof balls rotatably carried by each of said sleeves in spacedrelationship to each other and engaging the side wall of the receivingbore; means supporting said shears with the knives thereof parallel toeach other and for movement toward and away from each other; aconnecting member interconnecting said movable knife support members ofsaid shears to effect movement of said knife support members in unisonrelative to the bed members; connecting means connecting knife supportmembers to said connecting member and providing for relative movement ofsaid knife support members toward and away from each other; meansconnected to said movable knife support members and said connectingmember to effect reciprocation thereof as a unit; and adjustment meansoperatively connected between said bed members for moving said bedmembers toward and away from each other in unison to move said pair ofshears toward and away from each other.

2. In a paper trimming mechanism comprising a pair of ganged shears forsimultaneously trimming opposite marginal portions of a book, each ofsaid shears comprising: a bed member, a stationary knife on said bedmember, a movable knife support member, and guide means connecting saidmovable knife support member to said bed member and constituting thesole guide means therebetween; means supporting said shears with theknives thereof parallel to each other and for movement toward and awayfrom each other; a connecting member interconnecting said movable knifesupport members of said shears to effect movement of said knife supportmembers in unison relative to the bed members; connecting meansconnecting said knife support members to said connecting member andproviding for relative movement of said knife support members toward andaway from each other; means connected to said movable knife supportmembers and said connecting member to effect reciprocation thereof as aunit toward and away from said bed members; adjustment means operativelyconnected between said bed members for moving said bed members towardand away from each other in unison to move said shears toward and awayfrom each other; a third movable knife fixed to said connecting member;a bed member having a stationary knife adapted to cooperate with saidthird movable knife; and guide means guiding said connecting memberrelative to said bed member supporting said third movable knife; each ofsaid guide means consisting of: a plurality of guide posts connected toone of said bed and support members and the other of said bed andsupport members having a bore therein receiving and coaxial with each ofsaid guide posts with said bores having larger diameters than said guideposts to provide clearance between said guide posts and their receivingmember, a sleeve disposed about each of said guide posts and received inthe bore receiving the guide post, said sleeves each having an outsidediameter less than the diameter of the receiving bore, and a pluralityof balls rotatably carried by each of said sleeves in spacedrelationship to each other and engaging the side wall of the receivingbore.

3. In a paper trimming. mechanism comprising a pair of ganged shears forsimultaneously trimming opposite marginal portions of a book, each ofsaid shears comprising: a bed member, a stationary knife on said bedmember, a movable knife support member, and guide means connecting saidmovable knife support member to said bed member and constituting thesole guide means therebetween; means supporting said shears with theknives thereof parallel to each other and for movement toward and awayfrom each other; a connecting member interconnecting said movable knifesupport members of said shears to effect movement of said knife supportmembers in unison relative to the bed members, connecting meansconnecting said knife support members to said connecting member andproviding for relative movement of said knife support members toward andaway from each other; means connected to said movable knife supportmembers and said connecting member to effect reciprocation thereof as aunit toward and away from said bed members; adjustment means operativelyconnected between said bed members for moving said bed members towardand away from each other in unison to move said shears toward and awayfrom each other; a third movable knife fixed to said connecting member;a bed member having a stationary knife adapted to cooperate with saidthird movable knife; and guide means guiding said connecting memberrelative to said bed member.

(References on following page) 7. 8 References Cited in the file of thispatent 2,562,938 Moyer Aug. 7, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,727,569Patterson Dec. 20, 1955 29,532 Ufley Aug 7, 1860 2,781,096 Gflrlty 19572,874,775 Muller Feb. 24, 1959 124,872 Worell Mar. 19, 1872 5 2 906 563C 2 1,142,575 Inman June 8, 1915 Onner Sept' 1959 1,175,198 Thomas M 1 9FOREIGN PATENTS 1,327,915 1920 1,460 Great Britain Jan. 18, 19022,017,462 Kleineberg Oct. 15, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICECERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent N00 3 148 574 September l5 -l9o4 CarlHo Heigl et a1 It is hereby certified that error appears in the abovenumbered patent reqdiring correction and that the said Letters Patentshould read as corrected below.

Column 5, line 72 before "knife" insert a said Signed and sealed this12th day of January 1965c (SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner ofPatents Emil

1. IN A PAPER TRIMMING MECHANISM COMPRISING A PAIR OF OPPOSED GANGEDSHEARS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY TRIMMING DIFFERENT MARGINAL PORTIONS OF ABOOK, EACH OF SAID SHEARS COMPRISING: A BED MEMBER, A STATIONARY KNIFEON SAID BED MEMBER, A MOVABLE KNIFE SUPPORT MEMBER, A MOVABLE KNIFEADAPTED TO LIE IN A PLANE AND HAVING AN EDGE IN SAID PLANE TO COOPERATEWITH SAID STATIONARY KNIFE ON MOVEMENT OF SAID KNIFE IN SAID PLANE,FASTENING MEANS CONNECTING SAID KNIFE TO SAID MOVABLE KNIFE SUPPORTMEMBER FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH, GUIDE MEANS CONNECTING SAID MOVABLE KNIFESUPPORT MEMBER TO SAID BED MEMBER AND CONSTITUTING THE SOLE GUIDE MEANSTHEREBETWEEN AND CONSISTING OF A PLURALITY OF GUIDE POSTS CONNECTED TOONE OF SAID BED AND SUPPORT MEMBERS AND THE OTHER OF SAID BED ANDSUPPORT MEMBERS HAVING A BORE THEREIN RECEIVING AND COAXIAL WITH EACH OFSAID GUIDE POSTS WITH SAID BORES HAVING LARGER DIAMETERS THAN SAID GUIDEPOSTS TO PROVIDE CLEARANCE BETWEEN SAID GUIDE POSTS AND THEIR RECEIVINGMEMBER, A SLEEVE DISPOSED ABOUT EACH OF SAID GUIDE POSTS AND RECEIVED INTHE BORE RECEIVING THE GUIDE POST, SAID SLEEVES EACH HAVING AN OUTSIDEDIAMETER LESS THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE RECEIVING BORE, AND A PLURALITYOF BALLS ROTATABLY CARRIED BY EACH OF SAID SLEEVES IN SPACEDRELATIONSHIP TO EACH OTHER AND ENGAGING THE SIDE WALL OF THE RECEIVINGBORE; MEANS SUPPORTING SAID SHEARS WITH THE KNIVES THEREOF PARALLEL TOEACH OTHER AND FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER; ACONNECTING MEMBER INTERCONNECTING SAID MOVABLE KNIFE SUPPORT MEMBERS OFSAID SHEARS TO EFFECT MOVEMENT OF SAID KNIFE SUPPORT MEMBERS IN UNISONRELATIVE TO THE BED MEMBERS; CONNECTING MEANS CONNECTING KNIFE SUPPORTMEMBERS TO SAID CONNECTING MEMBER AND PROVIDING FOR RELATIVE MOVEMENT OFSAID KNIFE SUPPORT MEMBERS TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER; MEANSCONNECTED TO SAID MOVABLE KNIFE SUPPORT MEMBERS AND SAID CONNECTINGMEMBER TO EFFECT RECIPROCATION THEREOF AS A UNIT; AND ADJUSTMENT MEANSOPERATIVELY CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID BED MEMBERS FOR MOVING SAID BEDMEMBERS TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER IN UNISON TO MOVE SAID PAIR OFSHEARS TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER.